Johannesburg - There were no robbers who shot dead Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa on that fateful evening in October six years ago. Instead, the former captain was shot dead by Longwe Twala during an argument with Twala’s then girlfriend Zandi Khumalo.
This was the sensational claim made by Siyabonga Miya, the former footballer’s cousin, who has become the family spokesperson since Meyiwa’s father Sam died last July.
Miya claimed Longwe, the son of music mogul Chicco Twala, was the one who pulled the trigger after he got into an argument with Twala’s then girlfriend, Zandi.
Miya was speaking to Newzroom Afrika on Tuesday after a report by News24 on Tuesday said that the police investigators looking into the Meyiwa case had found a gun allegedly used in his murder on October 26, 2014.
In the past, a number of law enforcement officers have said the case is too complex and would likely never be solved. According to News24, they have spoken with a police officer associated with the investigation who claims that the firearm they have apparently uncovered, and the suspect who they have identified, could finally result in a prosecution.
The man alleged to have fatally shot Meyiwa is in a Johannesburg prison serving a 30-year sentence for the murder of an Alexandra taxi boss, the News24 report said.
However, the national police have denied any knowledge of this.
Spokesperson Vish Naidoo said police “do not know anything about the weapon”.
“If there is anything on the Meyiwa matter, everyone will be informed, it won't be anyone's scoop. The national police are the only ones speaking on the matter,” said Naidoo.
Despite Naidoo assertion, several leaks have surfaced in the media over the years about the murder.
This includes the claim that there was no robbery or robbers involved, which was reported by the Sunday Independent last November and a City Press report in August, which claimed Meyiwa’s girlfriend Kelly Khumalo ordered the hit on the former goalkeeper’s life and paid hit men R45 000 instead of the agreed upon R250 000.
Meyiwa was at Kelly’s Vosloorus home when he was shot dead. At the time of his death, police said armed gunmen had stormed the home and shot Meyiwa dead during the melee.
In the house that fateful day was Meyiwa, Kelly and Zandi, their mother Ntombi Khumalo, Twala, Meyiwa’s friends Mthokozisi Thwala and Tumelo Madlala, and Kelly’s then 4-year-old son, Christian, and Thingo, Kelly’s daughter with Senzo.
In November last year, the Sunday Independent reported that Meyiwa had been “mistakenly shot”, allegedly by one of the seven people present, but witnesses claimed it was an imaginary robbery gone wrong in part of a cover-up which involved senior police officers.
A senior officer involved in the case had been charged with defeating the ends of justice, but while the matter was ongoing, he was transferred to KwaZulu-Natal, the newspaper reported.
The Sunday Independent also reported that Ntombi had handed Meyiwa’s phone to a neighbour after the shooting, supposedly in a bid to strengthen the robbery story.
Meyiwa family spokesperson Miya claimed on Tuesday that they had learned of the reports of a gun used in his killing through the media and they had not been contacted by the police.
Miya alleged that National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole had assembled his own team to probe the murder and, he claimed, that the country’s top cop also knew that Meyiwa had been shot by someone inside the Khumalo home that day.
“The police right now are supposed to be arresting Longwe Twala for killing Senzo. Senzo was shot by Longwe Twala, there was no one who entered the house.
“Then after that they must arrest all the police in the case for defeating the ends of justice.
“Senzo was shot by Longwe Twala,” alleged Miya.
Miya claimed that Meyiwa’s childhood friend, Tumelo, who had travelled to Gauteng to visit Meyiwa that weekend, called the family and uttered the words “Zandi’s boyfriend has shot Senzo”.
“A call was made by Tumelo, the first call to the Meyiwa family, to say Senzo was shot.
“He said Zandile’s boyfriend, of which he did not know him by name, has shot Senzo.
“And then in the background, Kelly was crying saying ‘kodwa ngizothini ku maka Senzo (what will I say to Senzo’s mom)’.
“That information was given to the SAPS, why they did not arrest Longwe Twala, I do not know. You can quote me on that one. Zandi’s boyfriend shot and killed Senzo Meyiwa in cold blood,” claimed Miya.
Miya alleged that it was up to the police to make arrests on the case.
“If they do not want to do the investigation, they must leave it.
“For me and my family, whether they arrest him or not is up to them, because we have said several times, there was no one who entered the house,” said Miya.
Miya said the family, and Senzo’s mother in particular, was not well.
“God will heal us one day,” he said.
IOL